Air injector for water pressure systems



Oct. 26, 1954 C. W, GARRETT 2,692,558

AIR INJECTOR FOR WATER PRESSURE SYSTEMS Filed Feb. 19, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet l ATTORNEYS C. W. GARRETT AIR INJECTOR FOR WATER PRESSURE SYSTEMS Oct. 26, 1954 Oct. 26, 1954 c. w. GARRETT AIR INJEcToR FOR WATER PRESSURE SYSTEMS Filed Feb. 19, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 lmp., wz

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS j A J u M f T E m y 4 F/H mk l ,j A W///// 7////////////,m

//V/Mm Patented Oct. 26, 1954 AIR INJECTOR FOR WATER PRESSURE SYSTEMS Clifton W. Garrett, Olney, Ill.

Application February 19, 1951, Serial No. 211,643

(Cl. S-6) 2 Claims.

This invention relates to pressure water systems.

In a pressurized water system having a centrifugal pump and a supply tank wherein the Water is maintained under pressure, a head of air is maintained in the tank so that the water may be placed under a predetermined pressure. In the drawing of water from the tank and in the replacement of water in the tank, the air which constitutes the pressure head is gradually absorbed by the Water, so that the air head is gradually reduced in volume, and unless some means is provided for replacing the air it is impossible to maintain the desired working pressure.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a means which will maintain a constant head of air in the supply tank.

Another object of this invention is to provide an automatically operable air injection means which is operable with operation of the pump to restore air to the tank.

Another object is to provide a device of the kind hereinafter described, which is made of plastic or other suitable transparent material to thereby provide a ready means of observing the functioning of the device without the need of dismantling the apparatus to find out if the air injector is properly working.

Another object is to provide an air injector for pressure water systems wherein the injector is of a simplified and highly stable construction, one not likely to get out of order and which will outlast others of a similar purpose.

A further object of this invention is to provide an air injection means for a water pressure tank which embodies a minimum of working parts so that the device will not get out of order and will last indenitely.

With the above and other objects in View, my invention consists in the arrangement, combination and details of construction disclosed in the drawings and speciiication, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a detailed side elevation of a pressure water system having an air injector interposed therein constructed according to an embodiment of this invention.

.igure 2 is ya plan view of an injector.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of the injector.

Figure 4 is a vertical section taken on the line sl-t of Figure 3 showing the injector in initial position.

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure l showing the injector at the time the water pump is initially started in its pumping operation.

Figure 6 is a vertical section similar to Figure 4 showing the injector with the ball valve in closed position.

Figure '7 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the ball valve in its initial downward movement after the pump has completed a pumping cycle.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 8-3 of Figure 4.

Figure 9 is a fragmentary sectional view taken through the air inlet valve.

Referring to the drawings the numeral lll designates generally a closed Water tank which has connected therewith a water supply pipe iI and an outlet pipe I2. A centrifugal pump I3 is connected between the pipe II and the Well pipe Ill and a check valve I5 is interposed in the well pipe I i adjacent the pump I3 so as to prevent backward flow of the water from the pump I3 to the well pipe I4. The pump I3 is operated from a motor or power member I6. The tank i9 is adapted to have water under pressure disposed therein, and this water is normally disposed at a level indicated by the dot and dash line I The space I8 above the water level I1 is filled with air so that the water within the tank i0 may be placed under a predetermined operating pressure. In the normal operation of the water system when water is taken from the tank Il) by the outlet i2 the pressure within the tank will drop and when a predetermined low pressure has been reached, the power member i6 is operated automatically to operate the pump I3 and bring the pressure 0i the Water in the tank Hl up to its maximum operating pressure.

In the normal cyclic operation of the pump 43 and the dropping and raising of the water lcvc. S'I, a quantity of the air above the water level will be absorbed in the water thereby decreasing the volume of air and aiecting the efficiency of the pressure in the water system. In order to provide a means whereby air will be automatically injected into the tank I0, on each cyclic operation of the pump I3, I have provided an air injector generally designated as I9. The air injector I9 comprises a housing 20 which is shown as non-transparent but which may', if desired, be formed of transparent material and which is formed with a pair of vertically disposed elongated chambers 2I and Z2. The chambers EI and 22 are connected together at their lower ends by means of a connecting bore or channel 23. The housing I9 is secured to the outer side of the tank E@ by means of a nipple or short length of pipe 24.

A disc shaped plate 25 is mounted in a port 26 formed in the housing 20 communicating with the upper portion of chamber 2l and disc 25 is formed with a centrally disposed opening 2l". The opening 2l is relatively small so that when the pump is operated as will be hereinafter described and a partial vacuum is created in chamber 2l, the pressure on the water in tank it) will force a small stream of water through the opening 2l into chamber 2i to thereby gradually fill up the evacuated space in chamber 2l.

An air inlet valve 28 is carried by the housing 29 at a point adjacent the upper end of chamber 2i and includes a spring pressed valve member 29 which opens inwardly so as to limit air under atmospheric pressure into chamber 2i. Chamber 22 has movably mounted therein a non-buoyant glass ball or spherical valve member 3i! which is adapted to normally be disposed at the lower end of chamber 22. When water is being pumped by operation of pump i3 spherical valve member 30 will rise upwardly in chamber 22 until the valve member 3E! engages a resilient valve seat member 3l which is disposed at the upper end of chamber 22.

An outlet port 32 is formed in the upper portion of housing i9 communicating with the upper end of chamber 22, and a suction pipe 33 is connected at one end to port 32 and at the other end to the suction side of pump I3 between check valve l5 and pump i3.

In the use and operation of this air injector the injector is secured by means of the pipe or nipple 22 to tank I0 below the normal water level Il. Pipe 3-3 is then connected between housing i9 and the suction side of pump i3. Assuming that pump I3 is inoperative, valve member 3B will be disposed in the position shown in Figure 4 at the lower end of chamber When water is drained from the discharge pipe i2 from tank l0 so as to thereby eiect a reduction in pressure of the air in chamber I8 power member IS will be automatically operated to eiect operation of pump i3. When pump i3 is initially started in operation valve member 30 which is initially at the bottom of chamber 22 will begin to rise in chamber 22 as shown in Figure 5, and the water level in chamber 2l will gradually drop downwardly in proportion to the rise of the valve member 39 in chamber Z2.

The dropping of the water level in chamber 2l will be Taster than the inflow of water into chamber 2E through the jet opening 2l so that there will thereby be created a partial vacuum in chamber 2| above the water level in this chamber. When a partial vacuum has been created in chamber 2l, air valve member 29 will under atmospheric pressure move to open position to admit air into the chamber 2| above the water level.

Air will continue to enter chamber 2l until valve member 30 has risen to the uppermost position in contact with valve seat member 3l. At this time the movement of water in chamber 2| and in chamber 22 is cut off, and chamber 2i will be lled to a maximum with air. It will be understood that in view of the small opening 2'! in plate 25 there will be created a differential pressure between the tank I0, and chamber 2| so that as pressure is built up in tank IU water will continue to flow through jet opening 2l, and as pressure in tank lli and chamber 2l is gradually equalized the air in chamber 2l above bij the water level will bubble or flow back to tank i0 and into the space i8 above the water level Il.

The above should be suiciently explanatory to denne the operation of the above described construction, but in order further to clarify the operation thereof it is pointed out that with the pump idle, the air valve inlet closed, the tubes full of water, and the ball resting at the bottom of the tube, whenever the pressure in the tank falls to approximately 20 lbs., for example, the automatic switch starts the motor and the pump, placing a suction or vacuum from the supply line to the pump, also from the suction pipe to the air injector.

The solid glass ball is, therefore, drawn toward the orifice 3 l, and the air inlet valve opens. Air from the outside starts to pass into the air tube because the orifice and tube connecting the air tube to the pressurized tank is suiiiciently small that water from the tank can not replace the water being displaced from the tube by the pump. Therefore, as air is drawn in, the ball rises, and continues to rise, and air continues to enter the tube until the ball is seated in the rubber seat 3i at the top o the water tube. When the ball has seated itself, no more suction is placed on the tubes, therefore, the air inlet valve closes although water continues to issue into the air tube from the tank through the orice where the air injector is connected to the tank until the air pressure in the tube and in the tank are equal.

The ball, air, and water remain in this position until the pump stops ruiming due to the fact that the pressure in the tank has reached an approximate 40 lbs. per square inch and the automatic pressure switch has stopped. the motor and the pump. As soon as the motor and the pump stops no further suction. or vacuum is exerted upon the tube holding the ball in the seat. Therefore, the pressure inside the tank reequalizes through the pump and the line to the air injector and equalizes in all sections.

Since there is thus provided a column of water and the ball in one tube and a column of air in the other tube, the water and the ball start to fall, and the air is injected into the pressurized tank, through the small orice 2'! until the tubes. are again completely full of water, at which time the air injector is prepared for a new cycle of operation when the pressure in the tank drops to approximately 2O lbs. per square inch, or any desired equivalent setting which permits the reactuation of the motor.

What is claimed is:

l. In a water pressure system 'for pumping water from a well, a tank, a pump, means operable by pressure in said tank to control said pump, a pipe connecting said tank and said pump, second pipe extending from seid pump to said well, an air injector means, a pipe connecting said air injector means with the suction side of the pump, a second pipe connecting said air injector means with said tank, said injector means comprising a housing formed with a of vertically disposed chambers connected together at their lower ends, a spherical non-floating valve number vertically movable in one oi said chambers, a valve seat in said one chamber adjacent the upper end thereof, said housing having an opening to the atmosphere formed adjacent the upper end of the other of said chambers, a springpressed valve normally closing off the opening. said housing having a port communicating with the upper end of said other chamber, a plate in said port having a restricted port therethrough, said last mentioned port being of materially less cross-sectional area than the crosssectional area of said pipe, connecting said air pipe together with said pump, operation of said pump drawing water from said first chamber and moving said valve member to closed position and simultaneously causing a partial vacuum in said other chamber to cause said air valve to move to open position, cessation of said pump action upon increase of pressure in said tank allowing said air valve to close, whereby pressure in said system is equalized to force air admitted by said air valve into said other chamber through said restricted port into said tank.

2. In a water pressure system for pumping Water from a well, a tank, a pump, means operable by pressure in said tank to control said pump, a pipe connecting said tank and said pump, a second pipe extending from said pump to said well, an air injector means for the tank comprising a housing having a pair of ports, a pipe communicating one of said ports with the suction side of said pump, a second pipe communicating the other port with said tank, said housing having a pair of vertically disposed chambers therein, one of said chambers communicating with said one port, the other of said chambers communicating with the other of said ports, said housing having a passage communicating with the lower ends of said chambers, an air inlet passage provided in said housing in the upper end of said other chamber, a valve controlling said passage, a uid operated non-floating spherical valve member movable in said one chamber under suction force to close said one port and simultaneously produce a partial vacuum in said other chamber to cause said air valve to open and admit air into said other chamber, and a plate in said other port having a restricted opening to restrict the flow of water from said tank to said other chamber cessation of said pump action upon increase of pressure in said tank allowing said air valve to close, whereby pressure in said system is equalized to force air admitted by said air valve into said other chamber through said restricted port into said tank.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,220,209 Carpenter Nov. 5, 1940 2,479,247 Matthews Aug. 16, 1949 

